'palaeoanthropologist' originates from Modern English, formed from the combining form 'palaeo-' and the word 'anthropologist', where 'palaeo-' came via Neo-Latin from Greek 'palaios' meaning 'ancient' and 'anthropologist' ultimately derives from Greek 'anthrōpos' meaning 'human' plus the suffix from Greek 'logos' meaning 'study'.

'palaeoanthropologist' changed from the compound formation 'palaeo-' + 'anthropology' (the latter formed via Latin and French from Greek 'anthrōpos' + 'logia') and developed into the modern English noun 'palaeoanthropologist' in the late 19th to early 20th century as the scientific field matured.

Initially the elements meant 'ancient' and 'study of humans', and over time the compound came to denote specifically 'a scientist who studies ancient humans and their ancestors', rather than a more general meaning of 'old human studies'.